7 p.m.Kylie had finished the day"s work. Although there hadn"t been many shots that day, she had been in almost as many as the leading actress. Her back was in pain for having worn such thick, rough clothing, and for having carried such heavy baggage.
Kylie changed her clothes and removed her makeup. She put on a cap with the brim pulled low. She was still a new, unknown actress, so probably n.o.body would recognize her.
The filming location was far away from where Kylie lived, but Kylie felt like going for a walk with Pupu. Before she could get very far, a black Audi pulled up beside her.
The car window slowly rolled down. Aiden was smiling at her. "Kylie, let me bring you back."
Kylie was confused. Hadn"t he already gone? "Thank, but I want to walk the dog." Kylie kept walking forward without turning her head.
The car sluggishly followed her. "Kylie, I want to have a nice talk with you."
Kylie sneered. "We"ve talked enough. Do you want to cause me more trouble? If the paparazzi take a photo of me with my brother-in-law, it could go viral."
Aiden frowned, but he"d become used to her harsh tone and didn"t want to give up just yet. "I have no intention of causing any trouble. I literally want to talk to you about something."
If Aiden would not leave her alone, there was really a chance she could get caught by paparazzi. Kylie made sure there was n.o.body else around, then she pushed Pupu into the car, and followed him in.
Half an hour later, they were at a restaurant in town. Aiden had considered many dishes. "These are all your favorites. Eat some. You"ve been losing weight recently." He actively placed the plates in front of Kylie.
"Let"s get down to business." Kylie sat at the opposite end, keeping her head down, playing with Pupu, who was beneath the table. Aiden remained silent for a while before taking out a cheque and putting it on the table.
Kylie glimpsed at the three million dollar cheque. She squinted and thought to herself: Break-up fee? Wasn"t it too late for that?
Aiden looked serious. "It was all my fault, but please...please don"t hurt yourself," he said. Kylie raised her head and smiled. "Wow, why does it sound so strange. I can"t be more protective of myself," she replied.
"Then what"s going on between you and the boss of Peak Pictures?" Aiden asked directly.
He had hired someone to investigate. The manager of Peak Pictures was a thirty-year-old, unmarried woman, with a primary school degree, but each of her decisions was highly accurate and decisive. Kylie"s background was simple. It was arguable that she might have an affair with a man, but it was difficult to imagine her with a woman. Due to Kylie"s stunning beauty, she was t.i.tled "The Most Dangerous b.i.t.c.h" among the women of Seattle.
"What"s your view then?" Kylie stretched her legs onto the opposite chair, comfortably and lazily. Aiden clenched his teeth and angrily pulled at the chair on which her legs rested. "Kylie Finch! You"ve earned a living on your own for so many years! Don"t tell me that you can easily lead an affluent life, simply as an extra! I know what kind of money you"d need to manage the way you"ve been going lately!"
"Interesting. Now you know how hard it"s been." Kylie grinned. "Even though I have countless sugar daddies, it"s none of your business."
If it had been a month earlier, she would have believed that Aiden had changed, and had finally become aware of her difficulties. If it had been a week earlier, she probably would have believed that Aiden was jealous of all the many men he believed was at her side.
But now, she could only a.s.sume that Aiden was a dumb fool, and pretended to be considerate towards her when he"d found out that she was about to become popular.
"Kylie, even though we"ve broken up, you still have a place in my heart. You"re like a younger sister or a good friend, but simply don"t refuse me anymore. This isn"t plenty of money, but it"s enough to support your lifestyle for a period of time. Please resign from Garcia Entertainment, stop filming Tea House, and abandon the entertainment industry..."
"Abandon the entertainment industry?" All of a sudden, Kylie became aggressive. "Who are you to ask me to do that?! Your younger sister? Don"t forget that I"m your aunt, Ethan! Do I lack money? Lord Ethan is far richer than you! If you really feel sorry for me, then you can break up with Khloe. Can you do that?"
"Kylie, I..." Aiden"s face became pale. "I can"t do that. Khloe had helped me a great deal... Even though I"m no longer in love with her, I still need to provide her with the best, as I promised."
Kylie"s heart felt very heavy. "So your promises to me amount to trash, to be dumped into the trash-can whenever you want?" she asked, with sarcasm.
Aiden frowned forcefully. "I"m sorry. If I"ve said anything that you"ve misunderstood, I do apologize! But please don"t blame Khloe for the bad things I"ve done to you. She"s innocent."
"Sure! She"s the innocent one while I"m the evil one." Kylie lifted herself up, and Pupu jumped to his feet. "Even if I die in h.e.l.l, it"s my choice. You"re the last person in the world who"s qualified to tell me what to do, and be a part of my life."
"Kylie, please listen to me!" Aiden s.n.a.t.c.hed Kylie"s hand. But Pupu, who had been staring at him with dissatisfaction, made a warning sound before he could continue. Out of fear, Aiden immediately loosened his hand.
"Kylie." He took a step to get in Kylie"s way and insisted: "I admit that I love you deep down in my heart, but Khloe has saved my life. I"ve promised that I would take care of her for a lifetime..."
Kylie forced herself to stop and looked at him with disbelief. "What did you say?"
Aiden sighed and finally spoke his heart. "Kylie, my heart tore into pieces when I saw you with Uncle Ethan. I realized how much I care about you when I lost you. But now it is what it is. We can"t be together anymore..."
"The sentence before that," Kylie calmly said. Aiden was confused, but repeated himself: "I admit that I love you deep down in my heart, but Khloe has saved my life..."
Before he could finish, a sarcastic smile crossed Kylie"s face. She alternated between shaking and nodding her head for quite a while. Then she smiled at Aiden. "Given that we"ve been together for five years, I strongly suggest that you see an oculist."
After speaking those words, Kylie walked away.
Kylie finally made it back to where she was staying, with a six-pack of beer in hand. When the night was quiet and peaceful, she sat on the roof of the two-story hotel, holding Pupu in her arms, and drinking in the wind.
Life was indeed full of surprises. Five years ago, Aiden had been kidnapped, but the kidnapper had wanted to kill him, even after they had received the money. But Kylie had rushed to the building that had been lit on fire and had pulled him out, risking her own life.
The two had fallen down, unconscious due to a lack of oxygen. Before, when they had been slowly losing consciousness, Aiden had tightly embraced her and promised to take care of her for the rest of his life.
When Kylie had awakened in the hospital three days later, the police had claimed that Aiden"s rescue had depended on acute action and accurate information.
It had been because of Aiden"s promise that she had pursued him for those five years. However, five years later, he"d just informed her that Khloe had been the one to save his life!